Exercising and teaching apparatus for limb training and for teaching swimming

ABSTRACT

A self-training exercising device to develop the proper limb movement for swimming comprising a central box support and two triangularly shaped arm units, all of which enclose a geared wheel mechanism, chain drive and reduction gear linked by the chain drive to a horizontal bearing shaft, the user of the device placing his body on the box support and stretching his arms to the arm units. The user&#39;&#39;s legs fit into reciprocating adjustable lever-supported foot rests which are attached to a horizontal shaft. The recirpocating leg levers and leg supports move alternately along vertical planes parallel to each other to provide the proper leg movement for crawl stroke and back stroke and the hand movements are carried out by movement of the arms which grasp a handle member moving along an elliptical track or guideway. A motor serves to drive the leg and arm levers.

United States Patent [1 1 Marchignoni EXERCISING AND TEACHING APPARATUSFOR LIMB TRAINING AND FOR TEACHING SWIMMING [76] Inventor: AlbanoMarchignoni, Mura DAzeglio 4, Bologna, Italy [22] Filed: Sept. 27, 1971[21] Appl. No.: 183,806

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 30, 1970 Italy 3564 A/70[52] US. Cl. 272/71, 35/29 B, 128/25 R [51] Int. CI A63b 69/10 [58]Field of Search... 272/69, 71, 73, 74, 79 R, 80;

Great Britain 272/71 [451 Feb. 12,1974

Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-R. T. Stouffer [57 ABSTRACT A self-training exercising device to develop the proper limbmovement for swimming comprising a central box support and twotriangularly shaped arm units, all of which enclose a geared wheelmechanism, chain drive and reduction gear linked by the chain drive to ahorizontal bearing shaft, the user of the device placing his body on thebox support and stretching his arms to the arm units. The users legs fitinto reciprocating adjustable lever-supported foot rests which areattached to a horizontal shaft. The recirpocating leg levers and legsupports move alternately along vertical planes parallel to each otherto provide the proper leg movement for crawl stroke and back stroke andthe hand movements are carried out by movement of the arms which grasp ahandle member moving along an elliptical track or guideway. A motorserves to drive the leg and arm levers.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDFEBY 2 Y 3,791,646

INVENTOR ATTORNEY EXERCISING AND TEACHING APPARATUS FOR LIMB TRAININGAND FOR TEACHING SWIMMING The present invention relates to an exercisingand teaching apparatus for limb training and for teaching swimming,particularly to teaching the arm and leg movement for swimming in thecrawl stroke and in the back stroke.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus forteaching limb movement which is low in cost and easy to build, by meansof which it is possible to teach the basic movements of swimming, withreference to crawl or back stroke.

An important feature of the teaching device of the invention is toprovide a single exercising unit having a housing means with a centralportion for the body and two side portions, one on each side of thecentral portion, with a first pair of mechanically operative means fortraining leg movements supported by the central portion in the rearportion thereof and having a reciprocating or oscilating motion alongtwo vertical planes parallel to each other, and a second pair ofmechanically operative means for training arm movements mounted on theside and controlled in an elliptical motion of translation in a planealong guideways inclined to the vertical. The first and second pairs ofmechanically operative means facilitate alternate movements of the lowerand upper limbs in accordance with movements corresponding to the crawlstroke and the back stroke. I

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodimentthereof particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective rear view of the apparatus, partly incross-section;

FIG. 2 is a front view, partly in cross-section; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus, partly in cross-section.

Each sleeve element 12 pivots intermediate its ends at 8 on a shaft 9.The end of sleeve 12 extending to the right of shaft 9 co-acts with acam disc 17 secured to a rotary shaft 19 whereby rotation of cam 17oscilates the end of sleeve 12 and thereby gives an oscilating or up anddown vertical movement to the leg training means 6 and stirrup 13. In asimilar manner, cam disc 18, also secured to shaft 19, oscilates legtraining means 7 and its stirrup 14.

Thus, the leg training means 6 and its stirrup 13 will be moved, say,down while stirrup 14 will be moved up. The movements given to stirrups13 and 14 simulate the movements of a swimmers legs executing the crawland back strokes.

Shaft 19, to which earns 17 and 18 are secured, is supported withinhousing portion 2 by suitable bearings and is rotated by a power unit 20secured to the floor of housing 1. Unit 20 is preferably an electricmotor provided with a reduction gear means suitable for powering theseveral mechanisms of the device. Unit 20 carries a sprocket wheel 21which is connected by a sprocket chain 21A to a sprocket wheel 21Bsecured to shaft 19. Thus, chain 21A transmits rotary motion from unit20 to shaft 19 and thereby to cams 17 and 18 for oscilating leg trainingmeans 6 and 7.

A shaft 22 is mounted in suitable bearings supported by the floor of thedevice. A sprocket chain drive 22A connects shaft 22 to power unit 20 tobe driven thereby. The shaft extends through portion 2 and terminates inend portions 3 and 4 (FIG. 2). Pairs of bevel gears 25 and 26 coupleshaft 22 to shafts 23 and 24, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 2,shaft 23 secured at one end to a bevel gear 25 of the pair, carries asprocket wheel 27 at its other end to support the arm training means inportions 3 and 4 so that they move in a plane inclined to the vertical.

An inclined support plate 32 is secured by bracket I means within thehousing portions 3 and 4 generally parallel to the sloping or inclinedwalls 32A of portions 3 and 4. An endless member, such as a sprocketchain 29, is trained over wheel 27 and additional wheels 31 to form ageneral elliptical configuration. Gears 31 are supported on suitablepivots in plate 32. Similarly, a gear 26 is connected to a shaft 24 anda gear 28 supported by another plate 32 located within portion 4 (FIGS.2 and 3), and a second sprocket chain 30 is trained around wheels 31 toform a configuration as chain 29 in portion 3 (FIG. 3).

An arm training means 35 is connected to chain 29 and a similar means 36to chain 30. As illustrated in FIG. 2, each means 35 and 36 comprises arod like element 37A telescoping in sleeve 37, whereby the overalllength of means 35 and 36 may be adjusted.

To cause movement of means 35 and 36 in an elliptical path, ellipticaltrackways 33 and 34 are provided in the sloping walls 32A of portions 3and 4. Arms 35 and 36 project through the trackways as shown in FIGS. 2and 3.

A hand grip 38 is secured to each of the means 35 and 36 to be graspedby the user.

The operation of the apparatus of the invention is now described withreference to the leg movements in FIGS. 1 and and 3 and to the armmovements in FIGS. 2 and 3.

When the user who practices with the apparatus lies down on the body padsupport 5 with his abdomen on the pad, the leg training means 6 and 7are adjustable for his legs so that his toes fit into the stirrups 13and 14 while his hands grasp the handles 38 which are secured toadjustable arm training means 35 and 36 guided in the elliptcaltrackways 33 and 34. Obviously, if the back stroke is to be practiced,the stirrups 13 and 14 can accommodate the heels of the user, or thestirrups may be modified to accommodate heels.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that the preferred deviceemploys a single motor and reduction gear for operating arm movements inan elliptical path in the directions indicated by arrows 42 and 43 shownin FIG. 3 and for operating the vertical reciprocating or oscilatingpaths of the leg moving means as shown by the arrows 40 and 41 inFIG. 1. The arms will be moved in planes which are inclined to thevertical to closely and accurately simulate the movement of the arms ofa swimmer doing the crawl or back stroke.

I claim:

1'. A self-training exercising device to develop the proper limbmovements for swimming comprising:

a housing means having a center portion to support a body and two sideportions each to house an arm training means, each of said arm trainingmeans comprising a hand grip, means to move said hand grip in agenerally elliptical path in a plane inclined to the vertical to therebysimulate the arm movements of a swimmer executing the crawl stroke,

said means to move the hand grip in an elliptical path comprising aflexible, endless drive means trained over a series of wheels to shapethe endless drive means in a general elliptical configuration, attachingmeans to secure the hand grip to said endless drive means, and a supportplate for mounting said wheels, said support plate being so mounted in aplane inclined to the vertical and thereby cause the hand grip to movein a plane inclined to the vertical, two leg training means extendingfrom the central portion of the housing and each carrying a stirrupmeans to be engaged by the feet of the user, power means and mechanicaldrive means connecting said power means to said means to move said handgrips and to said leg training means to oscilate the same to simulatethe leg movement in a crawl stroke.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the endless drive meansis a sprocket chain and one of the wheels is of the sprocket typeoperatively connected to the power unit to be rotated thereby.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the attaching meanscomprises elongated, relatively movable, interconnecting members wherebythe overall distance between the hand grip and the sprocket chain isadjustable to fit various arm lengths.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the elongated memberscomprise a sleeve member having an offset end secured to the flexibleendless driving means and a rod telescoping within said sleeve, the rodcarrying the hand grips and an elliptical trackway engaged by saidoffset end to guide the hand grips in an elliptical path.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of said leg trainingmeans comprises elongated, relatively movable, interlocking members toadjust the overall length of said leg training means, means pivotingsaid leg training means intermediate its ends, cam means engaging theend remote from the end carrying the stirrup means to oscilate said legtraining means, and drive means connectingsaid power units to said cammeans to rotate said cam means.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said elongated memberscomprise a sleeve member mounted for pivoting movement and having one ofits ends engaged by the cam means, and a rod member telescoping withinsaid sleeve and carrying the stirrups.

1. A self-training exercising device to develop the proper limbmovements for swimming comprising: a housing means having a centerportion to support a body and two side portions each to house an armtraining means, each of said arm training means comprising a hand grip,means to move said hand grip in a generally elliptical path in a planeinclined to the vertical to thereby simulate the arm movements of aswimmer executing the crawl stroke, said means to move the hand grip inan elliptical paTh comprising a flexible, endless drive means trainedover a series of wheels to shape the endless drive means in a generalelliptical configuration, attaching means to secure the hand grip tosaid endless drive means, and a support plate for mounting said wheels,said support plate being so mounted in a plane inclined to the verticaland thereby cause the hand grip to move in a plane inclined to thevertical, two leg training means extending from the central portion ofthe housing and each carrying a stirrup means to be engaged by the feetof the user, power means and mechanical drive means connecting saidpower means to said means to move said hand grips and to said legtraining means to oscilate the same to simulate the leg movement in acrawl stroke.
 2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the endlessdrive means is a sprocket chain and one of the wheels is of the sprockettype operatively connected to the power unit to be rotated thereby. 3.The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the attaching meanscomprises elongated, relatively movable, interconnecting members wherebythe overall distance between the hand grip and the sprocket chain isadjustable to fit various arm lengths.
 4. The device as set forth inclaim 3, wherein the elongated members comprise a sleeve member havingan offset end secured to the flexible endless driving means and a rodtelescoping within said sleeve, the rod carrying the hand grips and anelliptical trackway engaged by said offset end to guide the hand gripsin an elliptical path.
 5. The device as set forth in claim 4, whereineach of said leg training means comprises elongated, relatively movable,interlocking members to adjust the overall length of said leg trainingmeans, means pivoting said leg training means intermediate its ends, cammeans engaging the end remote from the end carrying the stirrup means tooscilate said leg training means, and drive means connecting said powerunits to said cam means to rotate said cam means.
 6. The device as setforth in claim 5, wherein said elongated members comprise a sleevemember mounted for pivoting movement and having one of its ends engagedby the cam means, and a rod member telescoping within said sleeve andcarrying the stirrups.